Notes of Dark Temptation
by millenniumthief
Summary: Music is dark and powerful, and the sooner Mai realizes this, the more satisfied Marik will be...Written for Compy's pairing contest. Illusionshipping.


Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or music in any of its forms aside from my trumpet.

A/N: I don't know why music came to my mind when envisioning this pairing, but that prompted this to be my first true AU! It's somewhat inspired by my recent experience of hearing live violin. I had to drag myself away from the closed door to make it to my next class!

On a serious note, I apologize to everyone for the stories I've read yet haven't reviewed for this competition, and for not replying to the reviews you've left me. On a good note, my hard work has paid off. I've been accepted to two of the universities I spent all the time researching and applying to!

I'm not too sure about this, but I don't quite hate it. It's the first time writing something even remotely suggestive, and it's short, so…(Crosses fingers).

Notes of Dark Temptation

Fingers…his fingers that were so long and elegant, bony like a corpse's and cold to the touch, yet too darkly colored to belong to a dead man...Mai shivered as one trailed down her cheek. She breathed a sigh of relief as it left and its owner chuckled as he picked up a violin from the chair beside her and prepared to play, just like every night before. Mai shook off the disconcerting feeling of being touched against her will and straightened her outfit as light filtered in from an opening curtain.

The piano that began to play was dark and haunting, seductive, and Mai began dancing in time with the music flowing over her. The men in the crowd went wild. A blond in the front row was particularly loud…Joey, she realized. She threw him a flirtatious smirk, knowing the yellow haired boy was there just to see her part of the performance and no one else. She was surprised when he gave her a genuine smile back instead of the lecherous leers the other men were sending her direction.

And then she turned and lost her concentration when she saw his eyes. _Marik…_It was like those eyes were staring into her very soul, through the skimpy shorts and tank top she was required to wear in order to dance on stage. Dark purple, they pierced her tough, outer shell until she tore her own gaze away and back to the audience she was catering to.

She knew it was time to begin the main show when the rich sound of strings filled the air around her with its powerful vibe, prompting her to move more sensually than before. Compared with the other dancers waiting for Mai to finish her portion of the show, most didn't understand the lack of a techno beat and vocals behind the performance, but she made it work. She swayed with the music, sophisticated, refined, and mysterious, just like herself, yet so fluidly everyone was drawn in by her movements. It was truly something unique and different.

At the crescendo, she accelerated, moving wildly and passionately in time, the men by this point on the edges of their seats and then…!

Silence.

She halted all movement, save for trying to catch her breath in the whirlwind of emotion sweeping through her. The tension in the room was apparent, unbroken, her audience wearing expressions of shock and confusion, as though they had just had something torn from their grasps, the climax to the song and the performance ripped away. Mai wasn't worried. There were plenty of other dancers who could solve that problem for them, with the harsh beats and suggestive lyrics accompanying them. Still, as she made her way off stage, the men applauded and cheered, bringing a smile to her face.

"What a truly intriguing performance…" a low voice mused from behind her, causing her to jump slightly. As she turned towards her violinist, she tried to ignore the shudder of fear that arched its way down her back.

"It always is," she replied shortly, eager to find her way back to the crowd and reacquaint herself with the blond she knew was waiting for her. "If you'll excuse me…"

"Leaving so soon? Why not celebrate another wonderful night…with me perhaps? I've taken quite an interest in you, as I'm sure you've noticed," Marik tempted. The wicked smirk adorning his features made her realize the audience might not have been the only ones affected by her dance.

The thought made her cringe internally, and she grasped at Joey as a form of escaping this situation. "I'm sorry, but I have someone I need to go see. I'm sure he'll still be there. See you at the next show, Marik," she told him dismissively, turning her back and proceeding down the hallway.

A hand grasping her upper arm forced her to pause again. Trying unsuccessfully to break free, she snapped, "I'm not interested, Marik! Let me go!"

"It's not very kind to turn down someone you've worked with for five months. You make it seem like I'm going to attack you. Don't you trust me?" he intoned with another grin in her direction.

Mai jerked again. "Honestly? _NO_! I don't! Now take your hand off me!" She ripped her arm loose just as Marik removed his grasp, causing her to stumble against the wall back stage. "I don't know why I shouldn't just fire you for doing that!"

"Yes, you do," Marik contradicted. "I'm the only one who can play the way you need. The only one who can bring the darkness to the music you need to dance. The seduction and lust that creates your performance that comes from _me_."

As much as Mai didn't want to admit, he was right, but she didn't say it aloud. She couldn't afford to lose this violinist. No one else she had found could hold a candle to Marik's playing style. It hardly felt like she had to work at dancing when he played. The music he spun carried her through all her performances. But still, that didn't mean they had to be anything more, and she would prefer it stayed that way. Marik, however, still felt the need to stress even more just how much she needed him.

"You're not a 'good girl,' Mai. That goody two-shoes Joey would never want to see how _wild_ you can be given the right opportunity. Why don't you realize we fit perfectly together in the darkness? Without me, you're simply a shadow of what you could be!"

Mai still didn't answer, his words invading her thoughts, poisoning her mind, such a dark temptation. And it was tempting…she thrived at night. She wasn't nice, so why pretend to be? As though still sensing her indecision, Marik place his bow to the strings of his instrument, drawing forth a sensual melody, one that hid a sense of danger beneath the more obvious notes. Mai couldn't help it; her body surged, moving almost against her will, like he was controlling her…When the music died just moments later, she turned to him, embarrassed by the sudden power he seemed to exert over her, the way she reacted so greedily to his playing.

"You see?"

The words were simple, but they barely penetrated her fogged mind. Nothing made sense…yet it did. What he was telling her was absolutely true, but she still wanted to deny it. The darkness was in her, and always would be. Without his music, she would lose her living and any reason she had to live at all. She didn't want to admit it, but a single word formed on her lips anyway.

"Yes."

His chuckle filled the silence between them, but Mai stood perfectly still. She was overwhelmed by what had just occurred, but Marik seemed satisfied. He walked past her towards the exit. "Well, I suppose I'll just see you at the next performance, then. Just think about it some more. And, have fun with Joey, I guess..." he taunted and by the time Mai turned to look he was gone.

_Joey…?_ She didn't quite process what he had said until she remembered the blond in the audience. Was he serious? He probably wasn't even waiting for her anymore. And even if he was…

Darkness, power, lust, seduction…who was she to resist?

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End file.
